San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
4.5
About
The San Diego Chinese Historical Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing Chinese and Chinese American art, culture and history. We have two facilities in San Diego's Asian Pacific Historic District. The first is our Mission building, a historic church that was relocated, restored, and which now houses our permanent exhibition. The Chuang Garden is behind the Mission. The second is our Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension, where we hold special exhibitions.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
43 reviews
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GlobalGypsy_13
San Diego, CA2,647 contributions
Jan 2020
This small museum on a downtown corner tells the story of the Chinese in San Diego through objects & a courtyard garden with sculptures and a koi pond; at 9 a.m. on Saturdays all are welcome to a free Tai Chi/Qi Gong class.. There's also an active monthly lecture program at a nearby building and a special exhibit in the annex across the street. The fun dragon show just closed (Jan. 2020) and next up is Chinese children paintings. Admission includes all 3 venues. There's a small gift counter in the annex and metered street parking. For a memorable cultural experience head to the Gaslamp area in downtown San Diego.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AllanGoRedSox
boston37 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
A gem of a small Museum in an interesting building. If you are interested in other cultures in their experiences in the USA, specifically San Diego, I recommend you come here. It was well worth the $8 I paid as an adult. There were two sides to the main room one about the actual San Diego experience of Chinese immigrants and the other about the history of China but it seemed to fit well. There were some nice things outside in the courtyard and there is an annex building across the street that you need a dose of to walk over and let you in. The exhibit there now is all about the former conductor of the San Diego Orchestra, an immigrants from Indonesia or Malaysia of Chinese background, who was quite successful as a conductor. The docent was interesting and had some stories to tell. They were born in Taiwan.
Written May 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JorgeL2
Miami, FL49 contributions
Sep 2013 • Friends
Small , yet interesting museum located in the Gaslamp District . It consist of two building one across from the other one. Staff were very knowledgeable and attentive in responding your question about Chinese community that came for the Gold rush and Transcontinental railroad workers. Exhibit consist of donations from different people, such as clothing, pictures, furniture, glassware, money, etc. The outside garden is simple and peaceful place to visit and admire an outstanding Confucius bronze sculpture and a koi pond. A place to understand and admired the Chinese community in San Diego, California
Written September 8, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HelenaGuerra
Washington DC, DC13,816 contributions
Jan 2013 • Solo
Tip: 1h is enough to visit, the garden is really simple but beautiful, nice exhibition about tea
Pros: $2 fee, lots of information about Chinese community in San Diego, beautiful art pieces, gorgeous garden (with huge carps) , extremely attentive staff, convenient location if you are visiting Gaslamp
The staff is extremely attentive and nice. An old lady explained lots of things about Asian culture. She was very kind and thankful. It was a good experience and I learned some interesting details about the Chinese culture and community in California.
Pros: $2 fee, lots of information about Chinese community in San Diego, beautiful art pieces, gorgeous garden (with huge carps) , extremely attentive staff, convenient location if you are visiting Gaslamp
The staff is extremely attentive and nice. An old lady explained lots of things about Asian culture. She was very kind and thankful. It was a good experience and I learned some interesting details about the Chinese culture and community in California.
Written January 5, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shugineer
San Diego, CA6 contributions
Great place to visit to see what's left of the Chinese cultural influence here in San Diego in the Gaslamp area. Been several times during the Chinese New Years celebration where they block of several blocks. It's worth the visit just to see what's left
Written January 11, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GlobalGypsy_13
San Diego, CA2,647 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
This "museum complex on 3 different streets in San Diego's Chinatown that today is known as the Gaslamp and was previously also the locale of prostitutes and called the Stingray is well-worth visiting. Included is a traditional museum with historical artifacts from nearby archeological digs, a special exhibit location that's almost across the street in the Dr. Sun Yatsen Memorial Extension and then down the street and around the corner is an art gallery (Chuang Archive and Learning Center) where Saturday lectures are usually given. So time your visit for a Sat. morning at 11 a.m. and learn more about some aspect of Chinese culture in a very infomtive lecture by Alex, the Head of the Exhibits and Educational programs. Unlike Chinatown's in other metropolitan cities, this low keyed one requires hunting to find some good Chinese eats tucked away in storefront shops.
Written June 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barry E
Lake Stevens, WA572 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
We were surprised to see a China Town in San Diego, so we had to see the history. Very nice and wonderful displays. Great examples of artifacts used by local Chinese immigrants. I did see the same palm tree rain gear that we saw in Pendleton Oregon's underground tour. I also saw a few things I have never seen. The personal history of a few distinguished individuals added great depth to the displays. There is an additional gallery across the street, but we had to catch our trolley.
Written March 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
octrekster
Long Beach, CA287 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
SDCHM is a great museum on the southern edge of the Gaslamp District, only a stone's throw from the Convention Center. Admission is only $2, but kindly think of donating a bit more. The museum covers the history of Chinese in San Diego, which is really the history if Chinese in America. Every historic Chinatown has a similar story. They cover the region of China where most came from, how they came to the US, and how they eked out a living in the land they thought of as the Golden Mountain. There are also some terrific artifacts from some of San Diego's prominent Chinese citizens through history, as well as Chinese art and historical artifacts, including a beautifully carved recessed bed and a huge, centuries old stone Buddha head that found its way from a cave in China to San Diego. The museum is spread out between two buildings, and in the back of the main hall is a small but tranquil garden.
Written February 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wanderpair
Tucson136 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
This small history museum covers a lot of ground in a small space. This forgotten portion of race relations in early California history is well documented here. From the gold miners through the first Chinese laundries to the restaurant culture- it spans a great deal of information. Most of which may not be known to the non-Asian populations. The docents are informative and extremely knowledgeable; probably because the majority have first hand knowledge of what it means to be of Asian descent in San Diego. A memorable time spent here. Easy access via trolley or walking in the Gaslight District.
Written January 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MJJ122
Los Angeles, CA22 contributions
Nov 2013 • Solo
This area once known for crime and prostitution was also home to San Diego's Chinatown. The museum is small but worth a visit. Admission is only $2. If you enjoy history, this museum is a good place to learn about a community that has so often been ignored in history books, yet played such a big part in the development of California and the West.
Written December 29, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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